Automatic poultry feeder



March 16, 1943. sMrrH 2,314,109

AUTOMATIC POULTRY' FEEDER A Inventor www @6MM March 16, 1943. L SMITH i 2,314,109

AUTOMATIC POULTRY FEEDER Filed April 24, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I m/entor March 16, 1943.

L. SMITH AUTOMATIC .POULTRY FEEDER Y Fil'ed April 24, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Attames March 16, 1943. L sMlTH AUTOMATIC POULTRY FEEDER Filed April 24, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor 'Zw/; SM/M Attorney?? Patented Mar. 16, 1943 nains UNITEDY STATES .PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC POULT'RY FEEDER Leon Smith, Payson, Utah Application April 24, 1942, Serial No. 440,369

2 Claims.

' termined time.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an automatic poultry feeder of the aforementioned character which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly e'icient and reliable in use, compact, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several Views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of an automatic poultry feeder constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a View in front elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View through the feeder.

Figure 4 is a View in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through the clock chamber, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a top plan View of the centrifugal scatterer.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the belt and pulley connection between the electric motor and centrifugal scatterer shafts.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a housing I of suitable material, said housing being substantially square in horizontal section. The housing I is supported in an elevated position on legs 2. rlhe housing I includes an anticlinal top 3 which is provided with a hinged closure 4. Mounted on the peak of the top 3 is a rotary guard 5 for preventing the poultry from roosting on said top.

The housing I is provided with vertically spaced horizontal partitions 6 and 1 providing compartments 8 and 9. In the upper front portion of the lower compartment 9 is a chamber I0. The chamber I0 includes a hinged glass door I I, on its front, and a glass top I2.

Mounted in the chamber I0 is an electric switch I3. Also mounted in the chamber I0, on opposite sides of the switch I3, are alarm clocks I4 and I5. A cable or string I8 has one end secured to the alarm winding shaft I6 of the clock I4 thereon. The string I8 is. operable through a guide post I 9 which is provided therefor adjacent the clock I4 and is connected, at its other end, to the lever 20 of the switch I3 through the medium of a coil spring 2 I. A cable or string 22 has one end secured to the alarm shaft Il of the clock I5 for winding thereon. The string 22 passes over a pulley 23 which is suspended from a coil spring 24 and has its other end connected to the switch lever 23 for opening the switch I3. It may be well to here state that the clock I4 closes the switch I3.

The switch I3 is electrically connected to and controls a suitable electric motor 25 which is mounted in a vertical position in the compartment 9 of the housing I. The back of the housing I includes a hinged door 26 for permitting access to be had to the compartment 9.

'Ihe shaft 21 of the electric motor 25 extends vertically through the horizontal partition 6 in the housing I. Suspended in an opening which is provided therefor in the partition 'I is a substantially conical hopper 28 for the reception of poultry feed. The bottom of the depending hopper 28 is provided with a circular discharge opening 29. Journaled in suitable bearings 30 and 3| is -a. vertical shaft 32 which extends centrally through the feed hopper 28. The motor shaft 2l drives the shaft 32 through a belt and pulley connection 33.

Fixed on the lower portion of the shaft 32 for receiving the feed from the hopper 28 is a substantially saucer-shaped centrifugal scatterer 34 of suitable material. Rising from the scatterer 34 is a cone 35 which projects into the lower portion of the hopper 28 in a manner to leave only a narrow, annular passage for the discharge of the feed through the opening 29. This is shown to advantage in Figure 3 of the drawings. The centrifugal scatterer 34 further includes a plurality of radiating vanes or ns 36. A suitable fitting 37 is provided for lubricating the bearing 3|.

Hingedly suspended for swinging adjustment in a Vertical plane on the sides of the housing I, adjacent the scatterer 34, is a pair of bafles 38 for controlling or regulating the distance that the feed may be thrown laterally from the device. Supporting chains 39 are adjustably connected to the baflles 38 for securing said baffles in any desired position.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the door I is opened for permitting the desired quantity of poultry feed to be placed in the hopper 28. With the cone 35 stationary, the passage 29 is so narrow that the feed in the hopper 28 readily clogs therein. The alarms of the clocks I4 and I5 are then set to go oi at different times. For example, the alarm of the clock I4 may be set to go off at 5:00 oclock and the alarm for the clock I5 may be set to go off at 5:15 oclock. When the alarm of the clock I4 goes off, the string I8 is wound on the shaft I6 and the lever 20 is thrown in a direction to close the switch I3, thus energizing and starting the electric motor 25. In this manner the shaft 32 with the centrifugal scatterer 34 thereon are rotated at the desired speed. With the cone 35 rotating, the feed flows by gravity from the hopper 28 through the opening 29 onto the scatterer 34 from which it is thrown in all directions by centrifugal force. When the alarm of the clock I5 goes off, the switch lever 20 is thrown in the opposite direction by the string 22 which is wound on the shaft II, thus opening the switch I3 again for de-energizing the electric motor 25. The coil springs 2I and 24 facilitate operation of the switch lever 20 in opposite directions by the clocks I4 and I5, in addition to preventing slack in the strings I8 and 22. The baiiies 38 are adapted to deflect downwardly the feed that is thrown toward the opposite sides of the device by the scatterer 34.

It is believed that the many advantages of an automatic poultry feeder constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A poultry feeder of the character described comprising an elevated housing, a substantially conical hopper for the reception of feed, mounted in the housing and having a discharge opening in its lower portion, a centrifugal scatterer rotatably mounted below the hopper for receiving the feed therefrom, means for actuating the scatterer, hingedly mounted bafes suspended from the lower portion of the housing for swinging adjustment in a vertical plane for deiiecting the feed from the scatterer downwardly, and chains adjustably connected to said baiiies for supporting same in adjusted position.

2. A poultry feeder of the character described comprising a housing, a hopper, for the reception of feed, mounted in said housing, a centrifugal scatterer for receiving the feed from the hopper, an electric motor operatively connected to the scatterer, an electric switch for controlling the motor, alarm clocks mounted in the housing on opposite sides of the switch, a string secured at one end to the alarm shaft of one of the clocks for winding thereon, a coil spring connecting the other end of said string to the switch for closing said switch, a coil spring suspended in the housing, a pulley suspended from the secondnamed coil spring, and a string having one end secured to the alarm shaft of the other clock for winding thereon, the second-named string being trained over the pulley and having its other end connected to the switch for opening said switch.

LEON SMITH. 

